Thailand says ‘progress made’ in border dispute talks with Cambodia

The talks travel aft troops from the 2 countries exchanged occurrence past month, sidesplitting 1 Cambodian soldier.

Thailand says talks with neighbouring Cambodia had “made progress” successful resolving a long-running borderline quality that past period devolved into clashes, starring some countries to mobilise troops connected the border.

A Thai delegation led by overseas ministry advisor Prasas Prasasvinitchai and a Cambodian contingent headed by Lam Chea, curate of authorities successful complaint of the Secretariat of Border Affairs, met connected Saturday successful the Cambodian superior Phnom Penh to effort to resoluteness the spat.

The gathering came aft troops from the 2 countries exchanged occurrence past period successful an country known arsenic the Emerald Triangle, wherever the borders of Cambodia, Thailand and Laos meet, with one Cambodian worker killed.

Thailand’s overseas ministry said the Joint Boundary Commission gathering had “made advancement successful gathering communal understanding” betwixt the 2 countries.

Ministry spokesperson Nikorndej Balankura said successful a quality league that “diplomatic dialog remains the astir effectual mode forward”, adding that talks would spell into Sunday.

A solution is not expected this play and it was unclear erstwhile the result would beryllium announced.

The Thai and Cambodian armies some said they had acted successful self-defence during the speech of occurrence connected May 28, but agreed to reposition their soldiers to debar aboriginal confrontations.

In caller days, Thailand has tightened borderline controls with Cambodia, which successful crook has asked its troops to enactment connected “full alert”.

Despite some countries pledging dialog to grip the contented and calm nationalist fervour, Bangkok has threatened to adjacent the borderline and chopped disconnected energy supplies to its neighbour.

Phnom Penh announced it would cease buying Thai electrical power, net bandwidth and produce. It has besides ordered section tv stations not to surface Thai films.

Filing ailment with ICJ

The quality betwixt Thailand and Cambodia dates to the drafting of the 820-km (510-mile) frontier, mostly done during the French concern of Indo-China from 1887 to 1954. Parts of the onshore borderline are undemarcated and see past temples that some sides person contested for decades.

The portion has seen sporadic unit since 2008, resulting successful astatine slightest 28 deaths.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced earlier this period that Cambodia would record a ailment with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) implicit 4 disputed borderline areas, including the tract of the latest clash. Thailand, however, has insisted connected a bilateral solution.

Hun Manet said successful a Facebook station connected Friday that the 4 areas and the borderline restrictions would not beryllium discussed astatine Saturday’s talks, adding the authorities would nonstop an authoritative missive to the ICJ connected Sunday connected its program to record the case.

“Cambodia awaits Thailand to clarify its authoritative presumption astatine [Saturday’s] gathering connected whether Thailand volition articulation Cambodia successful referring the 4 areas to the ICJ,” helium said.

Influential erstwhile strongman premier Hun Sen, Hun Manet’s father, has criticised Thailand’s subject for restricting borderline crossings and has accused generals and Thai nationalists of fanning the tensions.

“Only extremist groups and immoderate subject factions are down these issues with Cambodia because, arsenic usual, the Thai authorities is incapable to power its subject the mode our state can,” helium said precocious connected Thursday.

The ICJ ruled successful 2013 that a disputed country adjacent to Preah Vihear temple belonged to Cambodia, but Thailand says it does not judge the ICJ’s jurisdiction.